Some veggie burgers draw their flavor from vegetables, and that's the way it should be.

Among the most foolproof are simple grilled portabella mushrooms. They're sturdy and so easy to prepare.

Spray the caps with olive oil, shake on a little salt and pepper, and grill. They're ready in about 15 minutes.

Other recipes will require stovetop cooking, because the delicate patties won't fare well on the grill. Flip them carefully, or they're liable to fall apart.

While fragile in structure, they're big on flavor and ingredients can be swapped.

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Mushroom Burgers

Makes 4 servings

⅔ cup water

⅓ cup cooked red or brown rice or quinoa

1 pound portabella mushrooms, stems discarded

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

3 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon soy sauce

½ cups fine dry breadcrumbs

1 large egg, slightly beaten

¼ cup olive oil

Break one-third of mushrooms into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, then transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining two batches.

Cook onion and bell pepper in the butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms, the garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until any liquid the mushrooms give off is evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in the rice, parsley, soy sauce and ½ cup breadcrumbs. Cool 10 minutes. Stir in egg. Form patties and chill 1 hour.

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Fry patties until deep golden brown, turning over once, about 4 minutes total or until cooked through.

Adapted from "The Epicurious Cookbook," by Tanya Steel and the editors of Epicurious.com